This invention relates to irrigators for potted plants.
In one class of irrigator for potted plants, the pot includes a water reservoir to slowly provide water to the soil supporting the plant so that the plant does not need as frequent watering as would be the case if there were no water reservoir.
In a prior art type of irrigator for potted plants of this class, the reservoir is within a compartment along the sides and the bottom of the soil containing compartment. The water is prevented from flowing into and saturating the soil by vacuum pressure within the reservoir. In another type of prior art irrigator of this class, the reservoir is entirely beneath the soil compartment and communicates with the soil through porous wicks. The porous wicks are adjusted by a lever or the like so as to have differing amounts of contact surfaces with the soil to control the amount of water entering the soil. Both of these two types of prior art pots have the disadvantage of being complex and expensive.
In still another type of prior art irrigator of this class, the reservoir of water is entirely beneath the soil compartment but is in a container which also surrounds the soil container so that it is exposed to air or is exposed to air through large diameter tubes. This type has the disadvantages of being relatively expensive and of permitting rapid evaporation of the water directly from the reservoir.
In still another type of prior art irrigator of this class, the compartment is formed of a porous separator in communication with the air through porous tubes. This type of irrigator has a disadvantage in that, in time, soil seeps through the pores and fills or clogs the compartment and tubes.
In still another type of prior art irrigator of this class, the separator rests upon specially formed members in the sides of the open-topped pot. This type of irrigator has the disadvantage of being expensive because of the specially formed members.